taking chances
by Carmilla DeWinter
Summary: How Ratchet and the twins didn't quite get the meaning of one-night-stand. Interviewer Bias continuity.


Disclaimer: I don't own the Transformers, and I'm not making money with this.

A/N: Title taken from the Celine Dion song – it was playing when I drove my mom to the doctor's and the lyrics sort fit this half finished one-shot.

You can go read Ryagelle's stuff and thank her for this bit of craziness. Rated M for being adult robot entertainment.

Usual caveats: I'm German. If I'm making mistakes, please bother to tell me.

* * *

taking chances

Ratchet gingerly put the datapad down and resisted the urge to sigh. He just couldn't concentrate.

It couldn't be the noise, no, because their newly appointed common room was unnaturally quiet tonight. Dodge and Bluestreak were there, commiserating on something via their bond, and the twins had ambled in a few minutes ago, but were just sitting on the next couch over from Ratchet, staring at the wall.

They didn't even look like they were planning something, which was a feat in itself.

It was definitely more quiet than Ratchet's repair bay – sometime yesterday, Jazz and Prowl had relocated to Jazz's quarters, for reasons unknown, and it happened to be wall-to-wall to the medbay.

Since Ratchet had no interest in overhearing them, he'd fled. How any two mechs could be on such activities for almost two earth weeks straight, he had no idea. Even the long separation shouldn't have been able to account for that much stamina.

Unfortunately, Elita had radioed into, saying she and Chromia would arrive in another earth week, so Ironhide and Optimus both had decided that their quarters needed some tidying up and hadn't been seen since. He suspected the only reason for them being able to stand the noise Jazz and Prowl were making was that, apart from the medbay, it was poor Bumblebee's room that would get the most sounds, and Bumblebee had relocated to the Witwickys' driveway for the time being, while Ratchet was bunking in one of the storage sheds.

It just wasn't fair, that he should be alone when even Bluestreak was getting some. Granted, Bee and Wheeljack were alone, too, but Bee was too young to care about such things, and Wheeljack was, as Sam had put it, 'married to his work'.

Just then, Dodge and Bluestreak got up and walked out, holding hands. Ratchet stared after them, feeling ready to murder Blue.

The twins had also turned to watch them, and once the happy couple was out, they turned to look at Ratchet.

Their expressions told him that they'd been thinking the exact same things.

Huh. It was rare that he agreed with them on anything, and he'd never thought that they actually could feel lonely. Longing to get off, sure, frustrated, always, but lonely? They constantly had each other on the back of their minds.

He sent a small smile their way and picked up his datapad once again.

Five sentences in, he heard them get up and approach him.

He looked up to glare at them, he really didn't need to be ridiculed because he felt slightly desperate. However, they didn't look like they were planning any mischief, more like they were stalking some elusive prey. It was rather unsettling.

"What is it?" He stood and squared his shoulders, but they continued to move in, Sunstreaker slightly behind Sideswipe.

Sideswipe stepped into Ratchet's personal space, put his fingertips to Ratchet's mouthplates in a very human gesture and ordered, "Hush."

Ratchet narrowed his optics at Sides. He – they – couldn't possibly be trying to seduce him. That was just ridiculous. And yet, Sides did have very warm fingers.

H stared down at Sideswipe, who slanted his optic ridges just so that he, for once, managed to look as innocent as he looked hopeful.

Sunstreaker's face showed a good deal of apprehension; obviously, he expected to be turned down. Given his personality, it was understandable, but then, Ratchet didn't belong to the easily likable, either.

Ratchet took Sides' hand and nuzzled it for a moment. "Just this once", he conceded.

Sideswipe made a satisfied click, wrestled his hand free, grabbed Ratchet's shoulders and dragged him down to the couch while Sunstreaker launched himself on Ratchet's back.

They took a moment to arrange themselves; Ratchet felt their vents running and, Primus, they were warm. And then hands found their way under his back armor and found that particular cable and Ratchet shuddered. It had been too damn long, definitely. A second pair of hands joined in… digging along seams and wriggling under the plating wherever possible, mapping out the spots that would make Ratchet moan. He writhed, so wonderfully helpless, and it felt so fragging good, but it wasn't quite enough.

Groaning, he heaved himself up on his left elbow and attacked Side's chest, frantically checking panels until he finally found the port. He hesitated for a split second.

"Get on with it already", Sides hissed and drew him down.

The connection came alive in an almost violent flare, and suddenly he felt another being, all around him. He stilled, delighting in its vibrant flame colors and how it was so full of desire and need for closeness, and how it felt his own desire and how it sensed his enjoyment of it/their attentions.

Then those attentions resumed with even more fervor, and he retaliated as best as he could with only one hand, and all his excitement and their excitement came back to him in a feedback loop, until he couldn't take it anymore and everything shuddered to a stop of absolute bliss.

He was vaguely aware that someone else was caught up in a similar sensation before everything went black.

Ratchet came to slowly. The first thing that registered was the warmth of two bodies surrounding him, and the second that someone's weight was resting on top of him.

He activated his optics and found them very close to Sideswipe's still, peaceful face.

Ah. So he'd just interfaced with the twins. Well. He hadn't expected it to be this good. Not after everyone being so out of practice.

He also hadn't expected to feel quite as relaxed as he currently was. It was warm, and he'd recharged on considerably worse surfaces than Sideswipe.

Above him, Sunstreaker stirred.

"Hey", Ratchet said.

Sunstreaker's reply was less coherent. "Hmrrmph." There was also more stirring, and eventually, Sunstreaker had climbed off him to crouch down and watch him. "You can get off now", he remarked apropos of nothing.

"Hmm. I could", Ratchet said. He had absolutely no inclination of doing so.

Sunstreaker blinked at him, confusion obvious. "But, you said."

"I said what?" He was sure he was too tired to have this conversation, whatever it was about.

"That it would be just this once."

Ah. He'd said that, hadn't he, and of course Suntreaker would expect him to return to his own bed once he was awake enough. Ratchet looked at… his lover for a while. Something told him that Sunstreaker was deathly afraid of him leaving, although he had schooled his expression into careful neutrality.

Guilt clenched Ratchet's spark. He hadn't realized just how starved they were for some non-brotherly affection, and he'd gone and used it. Anyway. He doubted he could go back to treating them like normal subordinates after tonight. He'd have to act day in, day out, treat them like every other patient and he'd remember their faces when they had first approached him and have all that crushed hope forever on his conscience.

Sighing, he turned a little so that he could actually face Sunny. "It was stupid, saying that", he admitted. "I was just lying to myself."

"Didn't sound like a lie", Sunny grumbled.

"But it was. Look. Why don't we wake up your brother, retreat somewhere more private and discuss this in the morning?"

Still looking weary, Sunny did as suggested, and they steered a half awake Sides to Ratchet's shed. It was crowded, and it took a while to find a comfortable arrangement.

"Looks like we'll need a bigger berth", Ratchet said, feeling very amiable towards the fact, as well as a little proud.

Sides just grunted his agreement, while Sunny snuggled up to Ratchet until Ratchet gave in and wrapped an arm around him.

Ratchet fell into recharge to the very satisfying knowledge that this little change in arrangements would surely make Prowl blow at least one actual gasket. And Primus, the guy deserved it after making the medbay uninhabitable, no matter that Ratchet had gotten lucky because of it.


End file.
